The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1887-03-16
Concerning Farmers and Farm
ers' Wives.

ARE THEY CONSIDERED BY THEIR HUSBANDS
ELSE THAN "DUMB DRIVEN CATTLE?"
THE inferiority of the woman so strongly
urged by some too masculine men and so
meekly submitted to by many too feminine
women is too frequently apparent in the
absence of necessary household conven-
fences about the farmhouse. There is many
homestead adorned by commodious and
handsome barn. painted and surmounted by
gilded rooster which always points with
his outstretched beak to the windward
quarter, but is without wood-shed or con-
venient and even necessarily comfortable
outbuildings around the house. The hus-
bandman provides more comforts for his
cows and his favorite horses than he does
for his wife, whose work is in no way
lightened by any labor-saving devices
around the house. She-absorbed in her
household duties-submits to all these neg
lects, and while $50 or $500 is not stinted
for the purchase of some improved animal
for the barn-yard, S25 is begrudged the
good wife, whose cares and tolls might
be much lightened thereby. Few farmers
ever think of their obligations to their fami-
lies, and how the duties they owe to them
should be more faithfully performed At
this season a most disagreeable picture may
be seen in many farm-homestead, where
the wife is struggling to hasten the morning
meal for her grumbling husband and sons
waiting for the wet fuel, dug out of the last
nights snow, to heat the cooking-stove-
and, with most humiliating patience and
meekness, makes excuses, while the bur-
den of the fault is not upon her Shout
ders. 1t is no doubt through
the prevailing domestic discomforts of the
farmhouse that so many young women
abhor domestic employments. Feminine
nature rightly revolts against the coarse
labors put upon women and which are
mems work. A farm-wife recently COM
planned in the hearing of the writer that
she used in her house more than cord of
wood every week in the winter for the
various stoves, and that she carried the
most of it in from the unsheltered wood
pile. "Think of it" she said; " a cord of
wood is about two tons, and | carry in
two tons of wood every week, and what |
don't carry in is saved only by help, which
is made most unpleasant by Objectionable
remarks in consequence of repeated urgent
requests for it. The girls hire won't stay
with me and do such work as this. "-Ne,c
York Times
FARMERS have much to answer for in this
way. The family is neglected. The mother
is not thought of so much as the cattle, and
the barn is better filled with conveniences
than the kitchen. There is no dry shed for
the fuel no private retiring place fitting for
delicate woman no stationary wash-tubs
with pipes to let out the soiled water into a
drain; no tank for soft water from which
pipe leads to the tubs or the kitchen; no
separate wasb-room; no clean foot-paths;
no porch no foot-scrapers; no water-heater
on the stove no bathroom for the general
ablutions no cOnveniences of this sort. But
in the barn there is a horse-p power, manure
cellar, fodder-cutter, hay-elevator; and in
the yard the mower, horse-rake, self binder,
and other implements worth hundreds of
dollars. Who can wonder that the girls
crowd to the cities and with tears beg work
OF any kind that will support them, always
except household work? Alas they have
seen the misery of homework at home and
want to get away from it, What wonder that
have been farmers wives? If the wife is
the weaker vessel, how she should be helped
in every possible way; how she should be
provided with an ample store of fuel and
kindling for the morning fire and for the
days use; how her wants should be an
ticipated and met before they become press
ing, and when mild request is made how
prompt and full should be the response.
know farmers who live near creameries
who refuse to patronize these labor-saving
institutions because it costs five cents a
pound to make creamery butter but moth
ing for the wife's labor. l have seen farm
ers' wives milking in the yard at deep dusk,
while the farmer and his boys sat on the
fence and watched her as they smoked
their pipes and rested. And the supper
table had to be cleaned, the dishes washed,
the milk strained and put away and the
pals washed, and then probably clothing to
be mended before bed could be reached.
Alas for the farm-wife!-M d., in Nev York
Tribune.
l KNOW farmers who will not spend a
days time in helping to arrange the garden,
but If the poor weary housewife, by dint of
PNA7N'S oi hcI phil, anu perhaps llt
help of the children, succeeds in spading up
small piece of ground and raising few
vegetables, when the hard-earned delicacies
that should be relished only by those who
have struggled for them are at last brought
to the table the " liege lord will be first
TO help himself, without giving a passing
thought as to how they came there or what
they cost in toll and care-C. h. Smith, al
Minnesota Ddirymen's COnrention.
We have given above extracts from
the New York Times, Tribune and a
Mr.. Smith of Minnesota on the in
feriority of women-or perhaps we
ought to say of farmers wives-and
their hard life, lack of comforts and
cOnveniences, what they have TO en-